


Pleasures of the Shore

by ambersagen



Series: Selkie verse [1]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Comfort Food, Crossdressing, Dean/Benny Big Bang 2015, Implied/Referenced Torture, M/M, Selkie!Dean, Vampire!Benny, implied bottom!dean, implied/bdsm, monster au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-20
Updated: 2015-06-20
Packaged: 2018-04-05 08:16:06
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 15,208
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4172532
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ambersagen/pseuds/ambersagen
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“Most of us think it’s a sickness," Dean started, closing his eyes against the cool salt spray. "To be interested in human things. To walk on land. We call it The Yearning, and if a selkie shows signs of Yearning their family will do everything in their power to stop it.”</p><p>Benny tilted his head back to look at the stars. Memories floated in his mind’s eye, memories of past days on the ocean, of shipwrecks and blood, of chasing treasure and being hunted in turn, of the ever burning desire to return home. Home to someone who didn't thirst like he did.</p><p>Benny tipped his glass, eyes meeting Dean's in understanding. </p><p>“To yearning.”</p>
            </blockquote>





	Pleasures of the Shore

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first Big Bang, and while it fell a little short on the word count I am still proud to have finished it at all. I hope you guys like it as Dean/Benny is my happy ship and this fic really had me worried the whole time I was writing it. 
> 
> Castiel is mentions as a good friend here, as I can't stand Dean/Benny fics that throw him under the bus. 
> 
> Thanks to my lovely artist alicemorgansgf!

**F**

**Pleasures of the Shore**

“I snatched up the skins and ran. But I stopped at the gate and I said a cruel thing to him.  _I almost loved you,_  I told him.  _I would have stayed, if only you'd have let me leave.”_

 _-Sea Change_ , Susan Stern

 

The tide pushed gently against a small, white boat as she pulled into dock. The sun was barely up, the first light of morning touching the water and illuminating the port, mostly deserted at this hour. The small fleet of local fishing boats was already out, having left only a few hours before and the fancy little boats kept by rich folk for leisure were still and empty, out of use for a few months more.

As he eased his home into her berth Benny hummed to himself. It had been long weeks out alone at sea and he was glad to be back. As much as he loved the sea, the snug familiar feel of the dock was just as much home as his cabin was.

Benny had an ongoing understanding with the family who owned the dock.  In fact, he had come to this understanding almost 130 years ago, when the original owner of the dock became suddenly and intimately acquainted with the supernatural side of his small community. Thanks to that encounter Benny’s berth in the dock was permanent, the rent cheap. No questions asked and he acted as unofficial night security when he was in. After over a century of guarding the area there was little that dared to make trouble.

As the sun came fully into the sky and began to burn off the fog Benny readied himself to go out on the town. It had been a month since he had met with his supplier and he was getting sick of the AB positive that he had in storage.

He pulled on his long coat, which was a little worn and smelling of salt from years of use on long coastal nights, popping the collar before sliding on a large pair of sunglasses. It might be a myth that vampires burned to ash in the light of the sun, but the reality of severe sunburns and the almost blindness brought on by strong sunlight was still pretty bad in Benny’s opinion.

The town was beginning to wake up as Benny strolled along the boardwalk. He had emailed Ash before heading out to sea the previous month, arranging to meet in the early morning hours at the local cafe. They didn’t have a particular time or day set up, not knowing for sure when Benny would return, so Ash agreed to drop in every morning if he had time and Benny would check the cafe regularly until they happened to meet. It was a little safer for Ash and his associates that way and the system suited them both just fine. Benny always made sure to have an extra cooler of blood on hand just in case meeting up took over a week or so. As a vampire he could technically eat regular food, but it did little in the way of nourishing and anything solid tended to make his body sluggish for hours after eating.

Few people roamed the boardwalk at this hour. Just a few men, hustling off to work, and a woman washing the salt and sand off a shop front. In a few hours families would begin to emerge and stroll around the beach and browse the shops.

Sure enough, about half a dozen people were seated inside the café when he arrived. None of them were his supplier. With most of the tables taken Benny ordered his coffee to go and took himself outside to people watch.

He trusted that Ash would come, sooner or later.

Benny sipped at his coffee as the morning wore on. By a quarter till noon it was clear that Ash would not be coming that day. Stretching indulgently Benny took his cup back up to the counter with a smile and a thank you before heading out. He had days still before restocking would become a worry, so for today he simply wanted to get back to his boat and sleep off the work week.

People were now scattered all across the sands and wood of the beach front. A few tourists mingled with the locals, happy to be out despite the slight chill of the breeze. As Benny pulled up his collar and entered the crowd a young man standing alone several buildings down caught his eye.

He was pale, as translucent as any bloodsucker Benny had ever seen, and just as ethereally beautiful from what Benny could tell at this distance. Yet there was something about the young man’s skin, in the still visible freckles that stood out along his nose and cheeks which suggested a lack of recent sunlight and not a life devoid of sun. Benny frowned. The winter had been long this year, and near constant fog and cloud cover had allowed even a vamp like himself to comfortably go out at noon rather than dusk hours. Although real life vampires wouldn’t risk death in the light of the sun it was still…extremely uncomfortable. The sensitivity Benny and his kind felt toward light was more that of a man walking from a pitch dark theater into the loud, bright light of day. Overwhelming, but not deadly. Unless you were hunting or being hunted. Then the vulnerability caused by the sun could be the end to an unsuspecting vamp.

The young man flitted from store window to store window, peering through the glass as if everything he saw was new and exciting, constantly leaning in only to bounce back on the balls of his feet. Benny chewed his lip, thinking. If the kid was a vamp then he was probably fresh outa hiding, judging by the way he was looking at all the human stuff. If he wasn’t, then Benny could have a whole other problem on his hands. Another supernatural creature in the area might attract hunters, especially a creature as obvious as this kid. Yet with all the humans around Benny couldn’t tell whether the kid had a pulse or not.

Benny stopped, but the young man pulled his hoodie tighter around his face as he passed by the booth, and he didn’t give the vamp a chance at a second look.

Well that wouldn’t do. Casually, Benny paused, pretending to check out something in his pocket before turning around to follow. The stranger appeared to be alone, wandering the boardwalk with no apparent goal, stopping whenever something caught his eye. Unfortunately there still weren’t many other shoppers out, and Benny knew the second he was caught out.

“Quit following me!”

Benny came to a halt, hands in his pockets as he faced down the stranger, who had turned to glare at him accusingly. “Who, me?” he grinned. “I ain’t following yah, brother. I’m just taking a walk down the boardwalk, same as you.” he nodded toward the single shop front path.

The guy scowled. He walked forward a few feet. Benny followed a few feet.

“ _Dude!_ ” The guy exclaimed, gesturing indignantly between Benny and himself. “You—you!”

“Benny,” he supplied, helpfully. Names held little danger for vampires, and besides, Benny had always been a big believer in keeping few secrets. Secrets drew attention.

The guy looked at him haughtily, puffing up in an almost intimidating way. Benny just stared.

“Fine, whatever. Just, stay away because if you try anything I’m going to be forced to deal with you.”

“Oh?” Even the ever present sound of seagulls calling and tourists chatting couldn’t drown out the sarcastic cheer in Benny’s voice at this threat.

“Yeah,” he leveled a glare at Benny that was probably supposed to be menacing. “I will call the cops on you!”

Benny threw back his head and laughed, full bellied sound booming out as the stranger scowled at him. “Oh will you. And you would be knowing how to do that? You have a cell?” The young man looked uncertain but nodded affirmative. “Or maybe you planned on using one of those pay phones on the dock?”

“Yeah!” the guy brightened up.

“You have money to do that?”

His face fell.

Benny sighed. “Kid, what rock did you crawl out from under? You don’t know anything about the human world do you?”

Luminous green eyes stared at him in fear and Benny could hear the sharp spike in heart rate that his words had triggered.

 Suddenly the guy was running, ducking left around Benny and braking into the crowd. Cursing, Benny took off after him.

The stranger wasn’t very fast. He ran like he wasn’t quite used to it, his balance a little too far forward instead of drawn back for control. Benny, on the other hand, had supernatural speed on his side but was handicapped by his unwillingness to draw suspicion from the people around them. Chasing a young man across the docks in the middle of the day was bad enough without appearing to fly at the kid out of nowhere.

Grimacing, Benny chased after the stranger, startling several shoppers as he ran by.

The two pelted down the slightly damp boardwalk. Benny had no idea where the kid thought he could run to. The ocean loomed grayly ahead. Thinking to catch him when he would have to head into the storage unit section of the dock or be forced to swim, Benny put on some speed. Yet to his surprise the stranger headed right toward the water rather than toward the wide open path by the buildings. Within seconds they were pounding down the pier, nothing ahead of them but the open ocean. He had the guy trapped.

Slowing to a jog Benny mentally ran through any possible arguments he could use to persuade the guy to come back with him to talk. But the stranger seemed to have other ideas. Rather than slowing his pace like Benny as he turned down the dead end of the dock he sped up, bear feet slapping dully along the wet planks.

With a twitch the kid dropped off the dock. Benny watched in horror as his lathe body fell, hitting the water smoothly. Before he knew what he was doing he had followed, diving into the ocean without thought for his hat or wellbeing. In seconds water drew up around his head. Kicking mightily, Benny surged forward, arm outstretched as he groped for the kid in the currents.

Water and sound, muffled and roaringly clear by turns. His fingers touched a shoulder, clutching at the shape before sliding off the unexpected feel of well-oiled fur. It thrashed in his hold, breaking free with one firm stroke. In a wall of bubbles and surf whatever he held was gone.

With a few powerful strokes the vampire pulled himself to the surface. Waves rocked around him, the water empty of life as far as he could see. Aware that he was about to be smacked against the algae encrusted support beams of the dock he pushed out toward shore. Staggering out from the surf, Benny cast a thoughtful glance at the ocean behind him before he began his sodden walk home.  He cursed his carelessness as he realized that not only had he lost his hat but his sunglasses were gone too. Squinting against the light he stepped up his pace.

So the stranger wasn’t a vamp. He was something different, obviously some sort of water creature. Not likely a mer-creature. They tended towards the toothy sort, much like vampires. Plus a mer-creature, or a dryad or even a siren for that matter would gladly have dragged Benny down to a watery grave, and this guy just let him go. No, he was something altogether different. Something that could take full human form. Benny flexed his hand, the memory of smooth fur still on his fingertips.

\---

Two days later found Benny again at the café. Usually he wouldn’t be up with the sun so many days in a row, but he really needed to get back on schedule. His supplier would be around eventually and Benny didn’t have a phone on his boat. The thought brought him back to the stranger from yesterday.

Hopefully he had gotten enough of a scare when Benny had reviled that he was aware the kid wasn’t a human.

“Mi compadre!”

Benny looked up from the magazine, which held a very nice selection of waterproof tarps for sale that he had been idly browsing. “Ash,” he greeted, allowing the man to pull him into a hug. “You’re a hard man to find. I thought I would be forced to find myself some cow blood, and you know how that gives me heartburn.”

Ash laughed, breaking off the hug to clap him on the shoulder.

“Sorry my friend. I had to make a little trip. Family reunion. My mom would have tanned my hide if I dared to even mention skipping the annual get together with the aunties. Plus, I had to hook up with some new donors,” Ash shook his head sadly. “College kids these days are such plasma whores. Hard to convince them to give up the good stuff.”

Benny laughed. “I hope you managed something. I can’t imagine going to anyone else for this. I wouldn’t even know where to begin,” Benny sighed dramatically. “You have me by the neck, brother. Let me know if you need to up your prices.”

Laughing along with him Ash scooted in. They fell into chatting about the underground economy among the locals who seemed to be resurrecting the barter system for supernatural goods and lighter topics of gossip about the town and whether Tessa would join her aunt in running the dock Benny birthed at or whether she would follow her old man into local politics.

Benny enjoyed times like these when he had a moment to just kick back and relax. When he was out at sea his days had a regimen. Casting nets and navigating often fickle waters kept him occupied. Yet while fishing was more of a cover for his lifestyle rather than a real profit maker he still managed to enjoy it.

Today he toyed with the idea of staying in town for a bit. Usually this time of year he would steer clear of the town as the tourists trickled in and the local younglings were released from school for a few months to enjoy the weather. It was best not to be around to draw attention when people had extra time on their hands to gossip about strange things. But this last winter had been a hard one and Benny had spent much of his time away digging up old treasure dumps to get the money to keep the people he cared about going. But with the blood shortage Ash mentioned it was sounding like a good idea to stick around and make sure all was well with his hometown.

It was during a particularly ridiculous antidote that Ash was relating about the local curmudgeonly grocery store owner Bobby and an unfortunate run in with a poncy FBI agent that Benny noticed a scene starting up outside of the coffee shop. Leaning over in his seat Benny took a look outside. When he saw what the commotion was about he sighed.

“ _Not scared away then_ ,” he thought as he took in the stranger’s slim figure.

“Looks like I’m gonna have to cut this short, brother,” he said, tipping his hat to Ash, who nodded easily. “Got something new going on these days.”

“No worries, man,” Ash said, saluting the vampire as he rose from the table. “I’ll get you a new cooler this week and we can meet up again then. Shoot me an email when you get your stuff figured out.”

Benny nodded, pushing on his sunglasses as he walked purposely out the door, heading straight towards his pesky new friend and the commotion he was causing now.

The police officer was standing way into the kid’s personal space. Warning signals flashed in Benny’s mind as he took in the officer’s appearance. With his unkempt beard and second hand uniform, Benny would have been suspicious even if he knew the man. As it was, he knew that this officer wasn’t part of the Blueharbor force.

“You haven’t seen me around because I haven’t been around,” the stranger was telling the cop nervously. “I’m new here.”    

“Well I distinctly remember asking where you lived before you came here. You had best answer quick, boy, if you don’t want to be in some deep trouble.”

“But I don’t want to tell you,” the stranger said, brow furrowed. He looked a little less peaky today, sun barely peeking through the clouds to reveal a fresh dusting of freckles on his fair skin. “I wasn’t doing anything. You’re a cop, doesn’t that mean you’re supposed to help people? You’re being overly aggressive for a guardian.”

Benny winced. The kid had good instincts to get that something was off about the whole interaction, but he was gonna get himself in some serious trouble if he didn’t try to blend in a bit.

“You already stirring up excitement, brother?” he said, sliding smoothly into their space.                                                                                    

 The stranger started, eyes widening as Benny rested his hand on his shoulder. “You—”

“What’s the problem here, officer?” Benny said, giving the guy’s shoulder a warning squeeze and adjusting his sunglasses against the light.

“And who are you supposed to be?” the officer demanded, squinting up at Benny.

“A friend,” Benny answered, all ease. “Benny’s the name. Laffitte. Longtime resident of Blueharbor. How’s Dan by the way? Isn’t this usually his beat?”

“I’m not able to divulge personal information about public servants,” the officer said, stiffly. “I was just asking your friend here what business he has around here. Loitering like he does and dressed like that.”  

Benny frowned. “I wasn’t aware that window shopping was a crime,” he drawled, all senses now on alert. He could hear the blood pounding in the man’s veins. This ‘cop’ was more than suspicious. “That must be mighty bad for business officer—?” 

The man bristled. “I wasn’t asking for your opinion. In fact, I wasn’t aware that you were part of this conversation at all,” he turned to the kid, pulling out a notebook and gesturing angrily at him. “I’m going to need your name and address.”

The kid just stared at him before Benny gave him a subtle jab in the side. “My name is Dean,” he said, flatly. He rubbed his ribs, glaring at Benny who just gave him a look. “And I told you, I don’t have an address so I don’t really know why you keep asking.”

The cop looked like he was about to start ranting again but Benny just stared the man down. People were beginning to stop, curious about the argument. If Benny was right about his suspicions then the cop was actually a hunter, and hunters didn’t like attention. He could wait this out. Lucky for him Dean seemed to be of the same mind, crossing his arms and trying to look intimidating.

Sure enough it was the cop who broke first. “Well,” he stuttered, having lost the battle. “I’m keeping an eye on you,” he jabbed his finger at the kid, ignoring Benny for now. “If you aren’t up to no good then you should try and act like it. Don’t let me catch you pan handling or bothering real customers around here.”

“Sure thing,” Benny said, unable to keep the sarcasm out of his voice.

They eyed each other warily for a minute, Dean standing between them looking nervous. Finally, with a last threatening grumble the cop left them. Only then did Benny take his hand off Dean’s shoulder.

“You really do attract attention don’t you, brother?”

Dean glared at him, but Benny noticed that he didn’t turn his back to the cop, who had walked off toward the more populated side of town.

Benny sighed. “Well. Now that all the excitement is over what do you say you and I have a little chat? You look hungry, and I’m guessing you don’t have a lot’a cash on you for some grub. It’ll be my treat and we can talk about you and how we are gonna stop this kind of thing from happening again.”

Dean seemed surprised at the offer. He stepped away from Benny, shaking off the man’s hand.

“Why would you help me?” he asked, “You don’t even know me. And human money is hard to get. I can never find enough on the beaches for pie.” He glanced wistfully at the bakery.

 _“Must be really new to the world if he’s scrounging for cash on the beach,”_ Benny thought. “Well,” he said. “Money ain’t no thing for me. When I was younger I had a little fun taking what wasn’t mine. I got paid well in those days,” he flashed a toothy grin. “Let me treat you, brother.”

Dean squinted at him before glancing back at the window display longingly. He seemed to war with himself for a moment, unable to look away from the golden pastries that lined the shelves.

Sure of his answer, Benny stepped forward, pulling open the door to the shop. A light tinkling was followed by the sounds and smells of a flourishing small town bakery. He turned, beckoning Dean into the store, but Dean had taken a step back.

“I’m not your brother,” he said, brows furrowed. “You aren’t my pod. If I’m just a stupid monster who needs to learn to be more careful then I sure as hell shouldn’t follow you anywhere.”

“Hey now,” Benny said gently. “A little trust isn’t a bad thing if you keep your head. I haven’t done anything to you yet, have I?” he pointed out, raising his hands palm out in a placating gesture. “I don’t want to hurt you, brother. Believe me, I coulda driven you off if I wanted to. And if you don’t accept my help I may have to anyway. I got people to protect and all.”

Dean paused, curious.

“But you don’t want to?” Dean asked. “You don’t want to drive me off?”

Benny shook his head.

“Why?”

“Well, you don’t seem interested in hurting people for one.”

“And that’s enough for you. You really want to help me?” he asked again, brow all crinkled in disbelief. The wind picked up a little around them, causing passersby to clutch at coats and hats as they hurried past the two.

“That’s what I said. It’s dangerous to have you running around attracting attention. And you look like you need it.” Benny smiled. “I may be a monster, but that doesn’t mean I’m heartless. You gotta admit it’s a good deal.”

He was obviously considering it. Benny found himself staring as the kid thoughtfully chewed his bottom lip. He could almost hear the pumping of blood rising to the surface as the sensitive skin was pinched.

“So, it’s like, you want to offer me protection?”

Benny nodded. “Protecting you protects me and mine. Besides, it doesn’t sit well with me to drive off someone if they aren’t meaning to harm people.” Benny looked meaningfully at Dean, who flushed.

“No. I don’t want to hurt anyone. I just…their lives seem so interesting. Full, you know?”

“Well, being lonely ain’t a crime. Neither is curiosity, provided you go about it the right way. Let me show you around, brother, or at least come in before I let the damned seagulls into the place.”

Dean licked his lips, then nodded. “Yeah, ok.” He was blushing for some reason and Benny tried not to focus too much on how endearing it was. It was better not to get attached. As cute as the guy was he would probably be moving on soon, reunited with his nest or off to find himself a niche like the more social of Benny’s supernatural friends.

With a smile, Benny took them both into the bakery. Dean seemed nervous. He had probably never actually been inside the shop before. Benny ordered him some real food, reasoning that if the guy wanted pie as badly as he acted then it would be good to leave that as a bribe for later if the guy decided to be difficult. Benny didn’t really want another chase scene.

When his order was up he took the meal over to where Dean had seated himself quietly on a bench by the door. He nodded to the exit and the two of them went outside to sit on an umbrella-shaded table. Dean hadn’t seemed bothered by the chill and Benny was dying for some fresh air after a morning spent around food.

Benny held out the sandwich, tomato and lettuce wrapped in a red and white spotted wax paper square. Instead of taking it from him Dean leaned in, nose scrunching as he sniffed at it. Benny laughed as Deans eyes closed in ecstasy at the scent, nose twitching as if he had whiskers.

“You’re supposed to take it, not smell it,” Benny said, nudging him playfully with the food. Excitedly, Dean grabbed the food and Benny had to sternly remind himself that he barely even knew the kid and it was way too soon to find him endearing.

“So what exactly are yah, brother?” Benny asked, folding his arms and staring him down. He was curious to see if his suspicions were correct. “I know yah aren’t merfolk, and I didn’t notice any tentacles or fishy limbs when you gave me the slip the other day. Are there more of you around here? No way a fresh fish like you ain’t got a nest or whoever looking for yah,” he leaned back, pushing his sunglasses up. “I don’t need that kinda trouble on my turf. Too many creatures bring on unwanted attention.”

Dean paused in his examination of the food, looking down at the table. There were crumbs on it now, a bit of the lettuce and mayo that always seems to fall out of good BLTs. Benny, sensing the change in atmosphere, sobered up quickly. Now that he noticed it there were definite signs that all was not well with his new friend.

His clothes had certainly seen better days. Sometime between his jump off the dock and breakfast he had acquired a worn pair of sneakers but the pants he wore might well have been the same khakis that he had been wearing the first time Benny saw him, only torn slightly now and stained brown by sand and who knows what other filth. The shirt he was wearing was a little short in the midriff, revealing a small strip of skin at the hip when the stranger moved.

“You’re alone?” Benny said, the question now holding more meaning. Dean looked away, staring at the ground. That was answer enough.

“Shit, kid,” Benny sighed. “You’re a monster without a home or pack and obviously no clue about the human world? That’s more trouble than anyone would ask for.”

“Not a kid,” Dean mumbled, the sound of waves almost drowning out his voice. “Or a monster.”

“Well you sure as hell ain’t human.”

The stranger frowned. “You…aren’t human?” he asked, brows drawn.

“Naw.” Benny chuckled. Fresh fish indeed.

“What are you then?”

“A pirate,” Benny laughed at the unimpressed look Dean gave him. He smiled, dropping his hunting teeth down just a tad. “A pirate who happens to be a vampire.”

Dean blinked, obviously surprised. “A vampire? I thought you guys weren’t human friendly.”

Benny retracted his teeth, running his tongue over his sensitive gums. “We aren’t, usually. I’m a bit of an oddity to be honest.”

 “I’m…selkie.” Dean said, turning his face away from Benny to stare at the waves.

Benny nodded in understanding. “A shapeshifter huh? Explains the fur and how you managed to swim away from me,” he grinned. “Better than a vampire too. No gray moral area surrounding your food I’m guessing.”

Dean shook his head, still avoiding Benny’s gaze.

“Hey there, brother,” Benny said, leaning in comfortably. “You don’t have to be worried about it. I remember some stuff from my sailor days. I won’t touch your skin, won’t even try to find it, although I think that I could help you find a safer place to stash it when you’re up here than what you probably have going on now. But I get it if you don’t feel comfortable with that. I’m mostly offering to help you with human dangers like that so-called cop you were talking with.”

“So-called?” that got Dean’s attention.

 “Well,” Benny sighed, rubbing his beard. “He could have been a regular human cop. It’s true that humans don’t take well to the destitute.”

Dean stared at him, eyes wide and unblinking. “Humans are worried about competition over food and stuff?” he asked, a sad note of understanding in his voice.

“Naw. They do feel threatened sometimes. But mostly rich humans are just assholes and like to drive off humans who don’t have much because it makes them feel uncomfortable about themselves. But that guy? Hhe may not have been a cop at all. He stopped you before, right? Hunters like to impersonate cops in order to abuse the authority of an officer of the law. It helps them hunt down and kill monsters like us without other humans getting worried about the threat.”

Dean bit into his sandwich; face lighting up as he tasted it. “Well, I guess it’s good you want to teach me a few things. Humans make everything more complicated than it needs to be.” He took a huge bite, cheeks bulging out as he shoved ham and cheese into his mouth. “Whoy wud anyone whaste time wid maken rules wen dey hab food like dids?” he took a few more bites, mouth still full.

Benny smiled. “It looks like I need to teach you more than safety.” He raised his eyebrows as Dean finished the sandwich in record time. “On that note, brother,” he stood, stretching. “When you’re on land you should be with me, at least for the time being. What say you meet me tomorrow, round evening time? You can find me on the docks easy enough im sure.”

Dean stood and licked his fingers, considering. “I guess that works. Not like I really have any plans or anything. Can we get another sandwich tomorrow?”

“We can do better than that if you show up.”

Dean nodded, wiping his hands on his pants. “Then I’ll see you tomorrow I guess. He paused, turning back to stare at Benny. His movement was sinuous, as if he were drifting underwater. “Don’t follow me,” he warned, walking slowly backwards from the vampire. Benny only nodded, turning to begin the walk back to his boat. He ignored the feeling of eyes on his back.

\---

 “Morning, Jody,” Benny said, tipping his thumb at his hat in greeting as he entered her office.

“More like afternoon, Benny. And a beautiful one at that,” She replied, grabbing a stack of documents and shifting them over to clear her desk. “Gonna have a good spring if only this weather keeps up.”

“Thank goodness for that. One more season like last and I woulda had to retire,” Benny said, scratching his beard.

“Well don’t think we don’t appreciate what you do for us,” Jody said. “I don’t want to know how you do it but Tessa and I were grateful for the little extra help with the bills, and I know Ellen was happy to get that specialty whisky for the bar.”

“I do what I can to support local business owners.” Benny bowed slightly, causing Jody to chuckle. “Speaking of help, I’m thinking of sticking around for a few weeks this time,” Benny said, straightening up. “Let me know if you need anything done.”

“Is that the dulcet sounds of my favorite lackey offering to repaint the office?” Jody’s niece, Tessa, called out from the back room.

Benny groaned as Tessa poked her head out from the back. “Hey Benny,” she said with a smile.

“Tessa,” he waved slightly. “I hope you’re joking about the painting.”

“Don’t worry, I already bought all the whitewash. All you have to do is roll.”

Benny groaned.

\---

It was a few hours and several pristinely painted rooms later before Benny escaped Tessa’s clutches. Jody hadn’t been much help, burying herself in paperwork under the guise of filing taxes and being really really busy.

Dean hadn’t shown up. Whether that was because he hadn’t come on land today or whether he had gone off on his own was unclear. Benny decided to take a stroll into town now that the sun had gone down a bit. He would find the selkie soon enough if he was out an about. Benny was going to get more than grumpy if the kid had gotten himself into more trouble.

Turns out he didn’t need to worry. He found the selkie almost immediately over near where he had been browsing the shops the first time they had met.

As soon as he saw Benny he came bouncing over. “Did you know the store on the corner sells tinny glass fish?” he asked, grinning excitedly. “I asked her about it and she said she makes them herself by blowing into little balls of melted class,” he looked pleased with himself for knowing this. “But,” he said, frowning. “I don’t understand why anyone would need a little glass fish?”

Benny laughed. “It’s not about needing. It’s about wanting. Like how I wanted you to come back to the dock to meet me next time you decided to come on land.” Benny raised his eyebrows meaningfully.

Dean just grinned, stepping forward to bump shoulders with the vamp. “You found me just fine, didn’t you?” he said. “I was careful.”

Benny sighed. “Come meet me next time. I’m not doing this for me, remember. You’re the one who’s a fish outa water here.”

Dean rolled his eyes. “Yeah yeah. I promise. No more ditching you. What are we gonna do today?”

Benny gave him a look, which only made Dean smile wider. He sighed again.  “So you already know about money.”

“Yeah,” Dean said wistfully. “I never find any of the paper money the humans use. I find coins and stuff though. Once I even had enough for an ice cream!”

Benny chuckled at the look on the selkie’s face. ‘Yeah, I bet ice cream is a step up from raw fish.” Dean nodded enthusiastically as he followed the vampire into the diner.

“Well, today we are gonna try some real food,” Benny announced, waving over a waiter.

The man approached them, smiling. ‘Hey, Benny,” he said, grabbing them some menus. “Just the two of you for today? You want a booth or a table?”

“Booth I think. My friend here just came off a long trip and finds people just a bit overwhelming at the moment.”

They were quickly seated and given menus. Benny grinned, flipping open the sticky plastic. “Now, you liked the sandwich yesterday, but I think it’s time you discovered the joys of deep fried potatoes.”

\--

Benny leaned against the railing of his little boat, the wind trailing slightly chilly over his cheeks, not unaware of the irony of a vampire appreciating the sunrise.

“You actually live on this thing?” A voice snarked from the dock.

Benny jumped, instinctually putting his back to the cabin wall.

Dean stood on the mist-slick wood of the dock, morning light catching his cheeks and nose in a way that lit up the crinkle of humor in his eyes.

“Look who decided to show up.” Benny said, relaxing from his fighting stance. Dean huffed, kicking at the rope that anchored _The Blue Lady_ to the dock.

“I’m sure you had better things to do than to babysit me.” Dean muttered, flicking a look up at the vampire.

“Well I’m not overly fond of babysitting anyone,” Benny said amiably, “But spending time with friends is something I always have time for.”

Dean made a hrumphing noise, but Benny could tell he was pleased.

“So what is it that you wanted to do with me, now that I’m here?” Dean asked, gesturing mockingly to all of himself.

Benny gave him an unimpressed look. “Well smartass, I wasn’t thinking anything in particular but now that I get a good look at yah…” he circled the man, eyes roving critically over him. “You need new clothes.”

Dean tugged his shirt down, embarrassed.

Benny chuckled, gesturing Dean forward as he headed off to the office. ‘Come on, brother. Let’s see if Jody will let us have the car for the day.”

\---

The mall was an experience for Dean and Benny both. While not particularly crowded it still held a disturbing number of humans who seemed to believe that their jobs allowed them to break social norms and personal space. More than once Benny had to extract Dean from the clutches of a booth salesperson who had grabbed the selkie and started exfoliating his skin or covering him in perfume.

By the time they found a store with clothes that Dean was interested in trying on Benny was rethinking his stance on not feeding from humans. On second thought, people like that probably tasted as bitter as they made him feel.

It was slow work picking out clothes for the selkie. Apparently Dean was a picky dresser. He insisted on touching every piece of clothing, on quizzing Benny on the necessity of side and back pockets on jeans, asking questions like “why the hell would anyone want to buy pre-damaged clothing” and what kind of underwear Benny wore.

The real problems set in when they happened to walk past the women’s section.

They were heading toward the shoe department when Benny noticed that Dean had veered off, making a beeline straight for the dresses, which were in all of their spring glory. Dean immediately thrust his hands into the numerous folds of fabric skirts, almost causing Benny to drop the pile of shirts and pants he was already carrying in his haste to catch up with his friend.

By the time he weaved his way through racks of frills and v-cut necklines Dean had already pulled a pile of yellow and pink dresses off the rack.

“Hold up there brother,” Benny said, reaching out to halt Dean as he moved to go further into the women’s section. “These ain’t for you.”

“What?” Dean asked, confused.

“These are ladies clothes. You can’t be wearing them around here,” He took the pile from Dean, who clutched them to him for the slightest moment before letting go reluctantly. “Come on, let’s go look at shoes.”

Benny hung the dresses back on the rack and moved to leave, but Dean lingered.

“Dean?”

“I don’t understand,” he said as he ran his thumb across the hemline of the sundress, biting his lip. “These are so much more colorful. And they look comfortable.” He looked at Benny, eyes pleading.

“No,” Benny said, feeling a pang of regret at the disappointment that drooped through the selkie. Benny pulled at his beard, frustrated. He was supposed to be showing the selkie human things, and in the human world of Blueharbor men just didn’t wear dresses. But to explain gender norms to such a sad face and hopeful gaze? Benny sighed.

“Look, it’s sort of like a mating thing. Only females wear clothes like that,” he took Dean’s arm, steering him toward the shoe department. “Humans are pretty strict about stupid things like clothing shape and what kind of colors people are allowed to wear. It’s wrong, but it’s not generally something they think much about until someone breaks the rules. Then they can get nasty,” He turned to Dean, who was looking at him with pursed lips. “I don’t want you to get hurt over something stupid like that. I’m sorry.”

“Hurt, sure,” Dean snorted, pulling a white and neon green pair of sneakers off the shelf. “I’d like to see anyone try though,” he shook his head, as if to rid himself of unpleasant thoughts. “Seals aren’t all blubber you know. I’m pure muscle under this,” he patted his stomach proudly. “Although come to think of it we should get some chow after this. I’m going to need to bulk up if I’m going to keep running around up here with the humans.”

Benny reached out to swat Dean’s head lightly. “Rule number one of running around with the humans. Don’t refer to them as “the humans” unless you want a couple of suit clad hunters asking questions as to why you think there are anything but humans out there.”

The drive back was quiet. Dean seemed caught up in his own thoughts, forehead pressed to the passenger seat window, his breath casting slight condensation on the glass. Benny felt heavy.

“What about you?” Dean asked. “How do you keep them from hurting you? For being different? Aren’t you the only thing like us around here?”

“Naw,” Benny gestured vaguely. “There’s actually a whole nest of vampires about two hours inland. Nice bunch for landlubbers. Actually, I should introduce you to Cas. He’s the local werewolf, lives further into town down by the bay. Makes his living braiding nets or something for tourists. I bet you two would get along fine, seeing as how you’re pretty much a dog of the ocean.” He grinned.

Dean tilted his head. “I like dogs,” he said. “They always seem happy as fuck.”

They spent the rest of the ride back in companionable silence. Dean seemed to be thinking about something, and was distracted as they slid into an empty parking space and grabbed his bags from the car. Benny shot off a text to Jody to let her know he had gotten the car back in one piece.

“It doesn’t seem as fun as I always thought it was,” Dean said, suddenly. “There are so many rules, so many threats. Why would you stay if there are always hunters in the area?”

Benny simply hummed absently before flipping his phone closed. “You like spicy food, brother? How’bout shrimp and the like? Or is that too much like your normal chow?”

“What?” Dean blinked at him in confusion.

“I’m asking if you like spicy seafood,” Benny prompted gently. ‘Gumbo, specifically.”

“Uhh, yeah. Seafood is great, and I don’t think I have a problem with spicy stuff?” he said like a question.

“Good. You should come to dinner with me tomorrow then.”

Dean looked at him like he was crazy, but he nodded anyway. “Are you sure I’m the one who’s half animal here?” he asked grumpily. “Because I’m pretty sure you have the social skills of a seagull sometimes.”

Benny chuckled. “What makes you think I don’t just like the suspense?” he asked, nudging Dean playfully as they walked their purchases back to his boat. Dean had bought a small bag to keep one or two sets of clothes safe from the elements, but they had agreed to let most of his things remain safe with Benny for now. They never spoke of where Dean kept his skin during his forays on land. Benny never asked and Dean never offered.

\---

Dinner came after a long day of menial chores for Benny. He had regular maintenance to do on his boat while he had her in dock and he spent the rest of his day helping Tessa replace some of the older planks on the far southern end of the dock. He was grateful for the sad, murky weather that blocked out most of the sun. He had been getting a little burned on his outings with Dean, but he wasn’t complaining. Tessa was just grateful for the manpower he provided.

By the end of the day Benny had really worked up an appetite and was silently cursing the local plasma clinic as he chugged AB positive for the twelfth day in a row. Yet despite that he was in an excellent mood by the time he met Dean for dinner. A good meal always left him feeling pleasant and warmed up on the inside.

Dean gave him the stink eye as he walked them to Elizabeth’s diner, but he seemed to decide that a happy Benny spoke of good things to come rather than danger and was soon excited at the prospect of trying the human version of all his favorite meals.

When they got to the diner they were rapidly seated in Benny’s usual corner, far away from the windows and the general bustle of the regular diners. Elizabeth came over herself to take their orders, no doubt curious about Benny’s new friend.

He had only ever brought company over once, and Cas, while generally a grumpy fucker, had understood right away that Elizabeth and this place was something to be protected.

“Hey darlin,” Benny said as Elizabeth leaned in to kiss his cheek. “We came over special so that Dean here could try some of your delicious gumbo. But I think you better keep it on the tame side, seeing as how he’s never tried Cajun spices before.”

Elizabeth laughed. “I think I can swing that for you, since you must be a special friend of our Benny,” she winked. “You new to seafood?”

Dean coughed, shifting nervously in his seat. “Uh, not really? Seafood is great, but I guess I’m more of a raw fish kinda guy?”

Elizabeth wrinkled her nose. “A sushi lover, huh? Well, our selection is a little different than you would find in sushi. More sea critters and less pretty fillets. But I’m sure you’ll find it tastes just as good, if not better. Not to talk my cooking up or anything.” She smiled.

Dean smiled back, giving an uncertain wave a she left to get their food.

Dean was silent for a few seconds after she left. He looked uncomfortable.

“Something on your mind, brother?” Benny prompted, taking off his sunglasses and pocketing them.

“So,” Dean cleared his throat. “You and her?”

“Elizabeth is my five times great niece, technically,” Benny said, casting a wistful smile over at the woman, who was laughing and playfully smacking one of the servers on the arm. “It may not seem like much of a reason to stick around, blood being so thin and all. But –” he shrugged, giving Elizabeth a small wave when she looked over their way. “Family is one of those things that make life worth living.”

Dean was quiet. Benny watched him, sharing the silence comfortably as Dean enjoyed his meal. The selkie seemed to be thinking hard about something, although that didn’t stop him from thanking Elizabeth profusely when she came by to see how things were tasting.

“I’m glad you have Elizabeth,” Dean said, leaning back into the plastic cover of the booth’s bench and rubbing his stomach tenderly. “I don’t—I don’t have anyone like that. Not anymore.”

Benny frowned. He wasn’t sure it was his place to ask, but Dean continued.

“That’s why I come up here. There aren’t any of my folk around, not since my Dad left. I missed hearing people talk.”

“It was just you and your father?” Benny asked, sympathetic. Vampires were community based monsters and he knew firsthand what the lack of a nest could do to your mental state.

“Yeah,” Dean said, pausing. He licked his lips. “It wasn’t always that way. But my kind, well. Sometimes we mingle locally with the wildlife, drift apart. It’s easier to forget what you are when you aren’t surrounded by others like you. My brother, Sam. He didn’t want to forget. He left years ago to find others like us. I guess when he left he took with him the only reason my dad stuck around. At least, it wasn’t long after that when my dad went wild.”

“It can be hard, being what we are in the world,” Benny said, not unkindly. “You can’t force people to stay.”

Dean shrugged, leaning back, meal done.

“Well,” Benny said, clapping his hands together. “It’s still pretty overcast outside so what say you and I head over to the docks? Got some people you should meet.”

Dean made a face, pulling back in suspicion as Benny just laughed. Jody would love him.

\---

Their days fell into an easy routine. When they met, which wasn’t every day, they would either get together for breakfast if they decided to go out, or dinner if they simply wanted to chat. Next to his occasional meetings with Ash this was the most social contact Benny had had in decades. He found himself enjoying it to a surprising level.

They ate their way around town, trying everything from frozen yogurt to steak and potatoes. Benny taught Dean about human customs, like washing your hands after using the bathroom and the appropriate volume to speak indoors. Dean returned the favor by getting along swimmingly with Ash and showing Benny the wonders of the internet.

Everything went smoothly, for a time.

Benny sometimes wondered about Dean. He worried for his safety.

He was pondering it as he told the selkie to wait while he grabbed him a corndog from a very good street side vendor. He hoped Dean had found a secure place to keep his seal skin. Dean had been spending a good deal of time on land, and Benny just wanted him to be safe. He frowned handing over his cash and taking the food.

Turning back to his friend he saw a familiar man standing with the selkie and realized that danger might be a little closer than he had originally thought.

The same cop from days ago pointed over at Benny. Dean turned to look at him before turning back to the man and saying something. Worry churned under Benny’s sternum as he pushed off from the stand and made his way over to the pair.

“—not a vampire.” Dean finished.

Instantly Benny was beside him, pulling him in by the neck to give him an exaggerated peck on the cheek. “Hey cher,”’ he improvised, pushing the corndog and condiment packets into the selkie’s hands. “Are you telling strangers about that kinda thing again?” he nodded amiable at the man, doing his best to look embarrassed by the whole ordeal. “You know those sort of details are best left in the bedroom.” he murmured into Dean’s ear.

“In the wha—” the man, almost certainly a hunter judging by the outlines of knives against the fabric of his thighs and the pistol Benny was also certain was tucked into a holster under the man’s arm, took a slight step back. His eyes widened as he stared at Dean, who already had his full, red lips wrapped completely around the tip of his corndog and who was currently making indecent moaning noises around the food.

Benny smiled, no friendliness in him. “We really need to stop meeting like this, officer. I know Dean here looks like a trickster, but he’s more of a child at heart than a criminal mastermind.” He winked at the cop when Dean made a questioning noised around his food.

“So says you,” the cop said, recovering enough to cast an unimpressed look at the selkie who had mustered smeared across his face. “I’ll be keeping an eye on you two.”

Benny snorted. “I’m sure you will,” he grumbled as the man walked away. ‘Sweet mercy but that man’s hard to shake,” he turned to Dean, giving him a light smack upside the back of the head. “The hell were you doing talking about vampires to that guy?”

Dean frowned, wiping at his mouth with the back of his hand. “I told him that you _aren’t_ a vampire!”

Benny stared at him. “It’s a good thing you’re pretty,” he sighed. “For future reference, you’re shit at lying. I’m gonna need to set a tail on that guy now. If he isn’t a hunter I’ll eat my hat.”

Dean paused, mustard covered wrist at his cheek. “Is he going to be a problem?” He asked, worried.

“Likely,” Benny nodded. Dean wilted guiltily. “No more talking to strangers with lots of questions, brother,” Benny said grimly. “I think we had better call it a day.”

Dean sighed.

“Safety always comes first when you suspect hunters,” Benny said firmly. “One hunter is usually enough to kill you. They won’t stop until any supernatural creature unfortunate enough to catch their attention is dead. Now get. I’ll see you later, ok?”

With a frown Dean nodded, distracted. Benny watched as the selkie made off through the crowds. Then he groaned. The last thing he wanted to do was track some hunter through town, but he owed it to his friends to not bring down trouble on their heads.

He wrote a note to remind himself to ask his friends at the precinct what the hunter had been up to for the last week. It was unlikely that he had researched the situation in Blueharbor without contacting the local authorities. Benny sighed. Redirecting hunters was always a tricky business.

He went to bed that night easily enough. A week of waking with the dawn had broken his usual nocturnal habit. But just as he was drifting off there was the rapid sound of footsteps followed by several muffled thumps on his door.

Quickly Benny grabbed the side arm he kept in the drawer by the sink, wide awake now. He moved with deathly silence to the door, reaching out carefully from the side to open it and reveal the visitor.

To his surprise it was Dean who toppled through the entry, staggering and almost knocking the gun out of Benny’s hands as the vampire moved to catch him.

Strike that. It wasn’t just Dean, but a Very Naked Dean who had stumbled into his room in the middle of the night.

“Dean! What in the world?” Benny said as the selkie tossed what must have been his seal skin off into a corner of the room before turning to face Benny, completely nude and wild eyed.

Dean grabbed at Benny’s shirt, practically ripping it off him as he pushed the vamp back into the room. Divesting Benny of half his clothing he proceeded to tear through the drawers. Finding a length of rope that Benny had been meaning to throw out he thrust it out and clasped his wrists behind his back. “I need you to tie me up RIGHT NOW.”

“Dean, what—”

“Just do it, Benny!”

Baffled, Benny wrapped the rope around the selkie’s wrists.

Dean dropped to his knees, face falling level with Benny’s crotch. “Dean!” He squeaked out in shock, but before he could do more than reach out to push his head away the front door to the boat slammed open.

Two things happened simultaneously. From the door the hunter came barreling into the room, gun drawn and wielding a machete, and from the vicinity of Benny’s dick Dean started up with the most appalling moaning.

“Please, Daddy. Fuck my face!” Dean yelled at the same time as the hunter shouted “Die, you fucking vamps!”

Everybody froze. Benny from shock, Dean from something that was probably faked shock or real fear of the gun in his face, and the hunter from either something that was confused shock or something that was possibly a brain aneurism from barging in on what appeared to be a very gay bondage scene between a bear and his twink.

“What the hell—” Benny started just as the hunter yelled out.

“Jesus fuck! What the hell is going on here?” he still had his gun up, pointing it wildly between the two.

“I could ask you the same thing,” Benny growled, half acting along with Dean and half in true anger at this human who had invaded his home. “I don’t know where you think you are, officer, but around these parts we don’t hold with the kind of bigotry you obviously hold against folks like us.”

“Folk like you?” the hunter spat.

“This is the twenty-first century,” Benny said coldly. “I think you’d better put away your gun before you get written up for hate crimes.”

The hunter spluttered, eyes bugging as Benny moved to throw a coat over Dean who had stayed naked and kneeling at Benny’s feet through the whole exchange, the ropes having slid mostly off his wrist from their ill-timed prep.

“Get off my boat before I report you,” Benny ordered, lifting Dean to his feet.

With a snarl the hunter locked his weapons and stormed, red faced, out of the room. Benny and Dean held their breaths as they listened intently until the sounds on deck faded and it was clean that the hunter was gone at last.

“Lord have mercy,” Benny rumbled, still in shock. “What just happened?”

Dean shrugged, pulling the blanket tighter around his shoulders. “Just what it looked like. I was worried after what you said so I went to see what I could find out about the hunter and saw he was planning a visit. So I came here to warn you and just ended up winging it,” he looked at Benny earnestly. “I figured that since you were already pretending to be my mate you would be fine with distracting him with that. It sort of worked before.”

“Yeah,” Benny shook his head in disbelief. “I thought the hunter was gonna faint at the thought of bumping uglies.”

 

“Uglies?” Dean tilted his head in curiosity. “You aren’t ugly. Why would you think that?” he leaned in earnestly. “You must be very popular in mating season! You’re so well padded for a human.” He ran an appreciative eye up Benny’s torso, making the vampire fidget.

“Well, I suppose I’ll take that as a complement. But I gotta say, brother. Lots of people would probably deck you for that.”

Dean shrank down again. “Meant it as a complement.” He mumbled.

Benny rubbed the back of his neck, embarrassed. “I appreciate that I guess. Now can you please put some pants on?”

Dean sulkily shook his head. “I gotta go. It’s late.” He moved to the corner where he had tossed his skin.

“Hey now,” Benny said, grabbing Dean’s wrist as the selkie moved toward the door. “I’m only worried about you. I’m also thankful you got us outa that pinch. Just, next time bring me in on the plan? And don’t go off alone hunting hunters, yeah?”

Dean glanced up at him, then back down at his feet.

“I guess I could do that,” He said, almost shyly. “Still think I did just fine on my own though.”

Benny chuckled, letting go of his arm. “Well I think your way of handling things is a little too exciting for me. If I wasn’t immortal you would be giving me gray hairs soon.”

Dean smiled a little, before ducking out the door with a soft “See you later.” Benny stared at the door for a good long time after that.

 _“Benny Laffitte, are you falling for a pretty green eyed monster?”_ he scolded himself internally. It wouldn’t be the first time a pretty young man had caught his eye. But there was something more about Dean that made Benny feel like he had spent years sailing in a fog, so many things in his long life becoming obscured and dim.

Dean was anything but dim. He was loud and excited and made Benny remember what being around people felt like. He really had lived too long. The temptation to avoid people who would only be around for a handful of years was a pitfall he had unwittingly fallen into. Dean woke him up to life, and if he decided to pursue the feelings that he was pretty sure he was harboring for the selkie, well. The he wouldn’t be alone in his experience of life. Selkie, while not quite immortal, could live for hundreds of years given good living conditions and an absence of fatal wounds. And Dean was young, young enough perhaps to give Benny pause. But even so he wanted it. He wanted a nest with Dean, if the man would have him. He would have to make a good case. While Dean had expressed some interest in his words there had never been any explicit action on his part to move their friendship into romantic territory.

He could be reading this all wrong.

Benny groaned, rubbing his face tiredly. He would need a bigger boat. In fact, he would need quite a few things if he was going to pursue a serious relationship. One hundred years of bachelordom had really made him lazy.

It was time to make a little trip to a secret island with a horde of pirate treasure. 

\---

Benny wasn’t just going to skip town of course. He had an appointment to meet Dean for breakfast after all, so he had a chance to say goodbye and make sure his selkie was settled.

The soft sound of morning conversation and the bitter smell of coffee greeted him at Elizabeth’s diner. His great niece sashayed over, trays balanced in both hands as she winked at him.

 “Your boy is at the back table.” Elizabeth said with a suggestive eyebrow waggle.

Benny knew that if he could still blush he would have been red as a strawberry. As it was he scrunched up his face in embarrassment. “He ain’t my anything, Beth.” He objected, glancing toward the back as Elizabeth rolled her eyes.

“If not that’s only because you are a big chicken,” she poked him with her elbow. “If you plan on making him yours you had better shake a leg. Guy that attractive isn’t going to wait forever. No matter how smitten he obviously is with you.”

“He ain’t my anything yet. Hopefully he’s got it in him to wait a little longer. Sides, he has his own life to live, even if he decides to include me in it.”

Elizabeth’s smirk softened into a small smile. “Well, I’m putting my money on him needing a big softy like you in his life,” she bumped him with her shoulder. “Go get him!”

Dean was busy inhaling pancakes when Benny slid in across from him. He swallowed his mouthful quickly, blushing as he grabbed for a napkin to wipe his face.

‘Uhm, hey” How are you? Doing. How are you doing today?

Benny suppressed a smile at Dean’s stuttering. The selkie was blushing, red right up to the tips of his ears. He still had strawberry syrup on the corner of his mouth.

“Look, about last night,” Dean started, but Benny interrupted him, reaching out to wipe carefully at Dean’s mouth with the thick pad of his thumb. Dean stuttered to a halt, eyes wide and face cherry red.

“I’m leaving in two days,” Benny said, watching Dean as he wiped his fingers on a napkin. “Got some things to handle. I’ll probably be gone a fortnight.”

Dean was staring at him now, eyes wide and hurt. His fork had fallen to his plate, pancakes forgotten.

“Hey now,” Benny said, reaching out and covering Dean’s hand in his own. “I’ll be back before you know it. I was actually thinking you should go visit Cas, get out of town and see the sights while I figure out some things, because when I get back I got an important question for yah.”

Dean gulped, staring down at their linked hands wonderingly.

“So I was thinking tomorrow we could do something special. Anything you want.”

‘Ok,” Dean said, still staring at their hands. He rubbed his thumb along the back of Benny’s knuckles almost experimentally. “Can I think about it?”

“Course you can,” Benny gave his hand a reassuring squeeze. “I have some things to do to get ready for my trip. Swing by and let me know what you decide?”

Dean nodded happily. He finished breakfast in pleasant conversation, never letting go of Benny’s hand.

\---

 Sometime around 8am the boat gave an almighty lurch, knocking Benny right out of sleep and out of his hammock. He hit the floor with a surprised grunt. Whatever had hit the boat was thumping around on the deck as he rolled to his hands and knees. Heaving himself unsteadily to his feet he barely had time to lament the decline of his survival instincts before the cabin door was thrown open.

It was Dean. Dripping wet from the sea and only wearing his white and brown spotted pelt around his shoulders. He looked wild, eyes wide as he peered around the black of the room looking for Benny. Not for the first time Benny wondered if the kid needed glasses in his human form. As far as he knew seals relied more on senses beyond eye sight for navigating the ocean’s currents, that and their whiskers, which he might have learned about through google.

“It’s raining.” Dean said breathlessly, pulling his fur skin closer around his body nervously.

“Sure is.” Benny said after a beat. He could see the condensation forming on the porthole windows of the cabin.

“Come with me to the beach,” Dean said, stepping forward to grab Benny’s hand as if he would like to drag him there immediately. “It’s been so long since I’ve seen the ocean in the rain from the land.”

When they hit the sand it was cold and humid, the air thick with fog and the light drizzle of rain. Dean seemed unaffected, likely because he lived naturally in the ocean elements, while Benny hadn’t needed to worry about weather conditions and temperature since he had experienced the bite.

The beach was empty of life as far as the shoreline winded into the distance. As Benny settled down into his spot on the sand he watched Dean playing chicken with the waves. Feeling the damp seeping into his pants and coat he sat quietly as Dean got soaked himself. The spray of waves mingled with raindrops in his hair and the sea rose up around his jeans. Closing his eyes, Benny let the rolling thrum of water and wind wash over him. It occurred to him that this is why he never got himself a real place, a home with a proper roof and floors that didn’t roll with the tides. The ocean was in his bones. It was his blood and air as much as anything could be.

 _“I shoulda let him get that dress.”_ Benny thought as he watched Dean wander up and down the sand with his fur heavy in his arms. A wild thing like him shouldn’t be confined by tiny human concepts of existence. Sand glittered on the selkie’s feet and legs, ocean spray beaded along his cheeks like stars in the moonlight.

A shuffling in the sand alerted him to Dean’s approach. Something warm and moist pressed into Benny’s hand. Slowly, he opened his eyes. Whiskers tickled up his arm as a curious snout sniffed him. Liquid black eyes were framed by smooth speckled fur, and Benny couldn’t stop himself from reaching up to run a finger along the selkie’s face. Dean maaaaa’ed softly deep in his chubby chest.

“You’re a real sausage, aren’t yah?”

Dean chuffed, waddling closer in order to flop against Benny’s side. Benny chuckled as Dean nuzzled closer, still snuffling and almost dog-like as Benny patted his blubbery belly. Content apparently with their positions, Dean rested his head on Benny’s leg, melting into the sand. Scratching absently at the seals head, Benny leaned back to enjoy the sea as the warmth of the body next to his.

They spend the whole day wandering the beach, wading into the surf and resting on the sands by turns. Benny had no need to eat and Dean entertained himself with hunting in his seal form. As dusk set in they wandered back to Benny’s cabin, taking their time and enjoying each other’s company.

On board they got dry and found themselves up on the deck, watching night fall around them.

 Dean stared quietly out at the soft glow of the town. Benny leaned on the rail next to him, feeling the slow swell of the ocean as she rolled under them.

“Most of us think it’s a sickness," Dean started, closing his eyes against the cool salt spray. "To be interested in human things. To walk on land. We call it The Yearning, and if a selkie shows signs of Yearning their family will do everything in their power to stop it.”

Benny tilted his head back to look at the stars. Memories floated in his mind’s eye, memories of past days on the ocean, of shipwrecks and blood, of chasing treasure and being hunted in turn, of the ever burning desire to return home. Home to someone who didn't thirst like he did.

Benny tipped his glass, eyes meeting Dean's in understanding. 

“To yearning.”

\---

Two weeks later and home was in sight, the flaking whitewashed buildings coming into view as the sunlight hit the roofs and sent dazzling sparks into Benny’s tinted glasses.

Suddenly, something broke the surface of the water off the left side of the boat. A chubby sausage leaped inelegantly out of the water in a cheerful greeting. Benny laughed. Just like that the malaise that had clouded his days at sea dissipated. Funny how having friends and family did that for you. Benny shook his head at his own folly. 150 years on this planet and he was only just figuring this out. Watching Dean as he glided through the waves alongside of the boat Benny considered the future. Maybe a century of solitude was enough. It was time for something new.

Dean was still wet when he came running up to Benny, who was just tying off his boat. No need to rush and be careless of the treasures he had on board now.

“Did you miss me?” He asked laughing as Dean jumped at him, smacking him on the back in a bear hug.

“How is that even a question, Benny?” The selkie huffed, pulling away. “Cas was great and all but he isn’t exactly a conversationalist and the dude likes things like plain yogurt for christsake,” Dean shook his head woefully. “I barely managed it but I think I talked him into letting refined sugars back into his life.”

Benny threw back his head to laugh. Dean laughed too, reaching down to hold Benny’s hand like it was nothing. “Come on man, let’s head down to the beach and get some grub! I’m starving and I want to hear all about this mysterious trip you had to take.”

Obligingly Benny followed Dean as they walked hand in hand toward the beachfront. They grabbed churros on the way, licking cinnamon sugar off their fingers as Dean chatted away about what he had seen in town that week. Benny couldn’t remember ever being so content.

‘What’s going on over there?” Dean said, right in the middle of a story about Bobby, the local grocer and head grump of the town and his unfortunate encounter with a half drunk seagull. Dean stood on tip toes, leaning into Benny to get a better look at the commotion further down the beach. “What’s with the crowd?”

They headed over, but when the crowd parted just enough to give them a glimpse of what was causing all the commotion they both stopped dead in their tracks.

 “Sweet Jesus,” Benny whispered under his breath. “Is that a seal?”

“Sam,” Dean whispered, face paling. “No, why is he here?”

“ _That’s_ your brother?” Benny asked, stepping a little faster as they approached the beach. “I woulda thought that was one of those gray seals you see off the coast of Ireland.”

The seal on the beach was massive. He was easily six feet long and solid gray brown in color. “I thought you said you didn’t have any family around.” Benny said, somewhat accusingly.

“I don’t,” Dean dragged his hands through his hair. “I mean, I haven’t –Sam he –he left. Dad left too. Why—”

“We should go see what he wants then,” Benny said sternly. “I think people have noticed the giant seal doesn’t quite belong here.”

Dean groaned, rubbing his hands down his face in horror as they saw more people join the small crowd that had formed around the animal. He took off at a run, pushing through the people to reach his brother.

“Let him through!” Benny called, putting as much rumble in his voice as possible. “Kid’s a grad student, biologist and sea mammal specialist. He knows what to do. Give the animal some room for Christ’s sake.”

Some bystanders were unimpressed with this statement, but for the most part Benny’s feigned authority did the trick, and his height and heft did the rest. The crowd thinned back, giving the seal and newly dubbed “marine biologist” some space.

Dean completely missed the whole exchange, engaged as he was in a frantic muttered conversation with his brother. Luckily some of those in attendance recognized Benny and knew from experience or local legend to go with his word on these matters. Better to shoo away a crowd of tourists than to bring down who knows what on the town. Eventually the crowd had been dispersed by the locals and humanswere hardly present to wonder at the strange pantomime between man and seal.

Good thing too, Benny thought as he made his way over to the pair. Because Sam didn’t seem too keen on leaving. Dean had managed to coax him off the sand and along one of the disserted sightseeing docks at the edge of the water. Benny followed behind Dean, making sure no humans came after them as they reached the end of the planks. Dean’s brother didn’t seem too happy about being cornered.

He made the shift too fast to stop him and the next second Sam was a hugely tall, naked man wrapped halfway in seal skin with panic in his eyes.

“I thought you were dead,” he babbled, grabbing at Dean. “Dean you—I went to the rookery and I couldn’t _find_ you and I thought you were dead!” he turned, seeing the vampire moving closer. “Is it him? Is he the human holding you captive?” Sam looked at Benny, wild eyed. “I’ll kill him Dean. I’ll—where’s your skin? Where has he hidden it?”

With a groan of frustration, Dean gave his brother a panicked push, shoving him brutally off into the surf.

“Shit shit shit,” Dean said, flapping his hands around in a panic. “I have to go to him Benny, I have to explain—”

“Go,” Benny said, putting a soothing hand on Dean’s shoulder. He fought off an impending sense of dread. This wasn’t goodbye, not yet at least. “You need to see him. I’m sure he will come around. You’re family after all.”

Dean stared at him then glanced back at the ocean. Benny was about to step back, give him room, when Dean lunged forward, grabbing Benny’s hand and pressing a kiss to his palm.

“I’ll be back,” he whispered fiercely before stepping away.

Benny nodded.

“I’ll be waiting.”

\---

Wait he did, pacing back and forth in the small space of his cabin and trying not to replay the image of Dean slipping his freckled fur over his shoulders and disappearing into the water. He promised to return. But when? And with what result?

The night had long since set in. The town was asleep, only a few sparse street lights glowed in the dark. No windows were lit to reveal the living residents of the town. Benny strode out to stare at the sea. Yet even his hyper vampire senses couldn’t see what wasn’t there.

The hours ticked slowly by, so long and empty of life that by the time something actually happened Benny almost thought that he was imagining it.

He jerked back when the surface of the water broke with a frantic splash, then dove forward to hoist his lover out of the freezing surf.

“Benny I’m sorry! He won’t listen, he just won’t,” Dean babbled, ocean pouring onto the deck as Benny pulled him on board.

“Ok, ok. Let’s get you dry before we figure out what needs doing.” Benny said, trying to lead Dean into the cabin but the selkie grabbed at him, shaking him with trembling arms.

“No, you don’t understand,” he said, stepping back and almost slipping on the wet deck. “He won’t listen to me! He thinks you kidnapped me, that I’m brainwashed,” He pulled free of Benny’s hands to gesture at the ocean. “He wants me to go with him. I only barely made it back.”

“Jesus,” Benny muttered, rubbing his face. “We have to talk to him, Dean. Let me call Jody, maybe she can find us a neutral ground to talk on…”

“Benny!” Dean yelled. Benny whirled around as the boat lurched again, just in time to see his selkie struggling with his brother. Sam was dragging him bodily over the railing.

“Dean!” he yelled, but it was too late. Sam used his size, easily overpowering his brother and pulling them both over the edge and into the waves.

“Fuck!” Benny ran to the edge, not expecting to see anything. He knew he stood no chance against a supernatural ocean dweller in their natural habitat. Benny slammed his fists into the railing, completely distracted.

He didn’t see the man slip aboard as he rushed to get his boat moving.

He wouldn’t let Dean just disappear into the dark. Not while there was a question of whether he wanted to be there. In no time Benny had his boat out on open waters, desperately combing the rocky islands that dotted the coast for signs of his selkie. For hours he searched, until finally his voice was gone from calling and he was beginning to despair at the first rays of sunlight.

Head bowed in thought he didn’t see the man unfold from the shadows. He only felt the needle plunge into his neck.

Feeling the sharp point pierce his skin Benny gave a shout, trying to rip free of the sudden burn entering his body. Thrashing against his assailant he fell hard against the rails, knees hitting the deck hard.

“Benny!”

He managed to lift his head just enough to glance over the rails of the boat, eyes finding Dean’s where his selkie floated in the surf, free for now but helplessly watching the violence on the boat unfold. Horrified green eyes were Benny’s last sight as dead man’s blood flowed through his long cold veins.

\---

Time became an unknown factor. Benny was aware and not aware many times. Cold wood beneath his feet, one high window letting in little light that still burned him weakened as he was by the poison. There were times he was aware of pain, of knives and burning, yet it could have been days or hours by the time he was fully conscious again for all he knew.

When he did return it was to the unsurprising sight of an abandoned warehouse and the familiar face one very smug hunter.

“Oh, you’re awake now? Good. I was beginning to get bored.”

Benny coughed, tugging slightly at the ropes.

“Well yah do seem to have a rather one track mind. I don’t imagine you get out with friends much, not a lot of time for parties when you spend all your time tracking one lone vampire.”

“Ah, but are you really just one lone vamp?” the hunter turned to fiddle with something on a tray. Benny couldn’t suppress the shiver that went through him when he saw the row of needles filled with the black sludge of dead man’s blood.

“Where’s your friend?” the hunter demanded, pressing the tip of his blade into the meat of Benny’s thigh. Benny bit back a groan as the feel of dead man’s blood burned into the wound. The hunter must have dipped all his weapons in the stuff. “I know you were starting a nest.”

Benny laughed, both in pain and in amusement at the irony of a hunter figuring out what was going on between them before they had any clue themselves. “I was think’n bout it, yeah.” He coughed out weakly. No point in hiding it. This was so far past the point of a cover up. Lone wolf hunters were by far the worst of the lot.

“I knew you weren’t that innocent. You monsters are all perverted freaks.”

Benny rolled his eyes, trying to cover his attempt to gauge his surroundings with sarcasm. “I don’t know about perverted. You did interrupt before I even got to third base after all.” He rolled his shoulders slightly, testing his bonds. Too tight for his weakened, almost human strength.

With a smirk, the hunter backhanded him, knocking Benny back in his seat. Satisfied that he had shut the vampire up, the man turned to grab another shot of dead man’s blood.

Benny groaned, bracing himself when a deep growl rumbled from the darkness.

The hunter whipped around, drawing a pistol from his waistband and aiming it towards the back of the building. “Your little monster buddy showing his face at last, huh?” He grinned, eyes manic as he scanned the shadows. But nothing revealed itself and the warehouse was silent.

He advanced, gun out and half an eye on Benny, where he remained quiet and bound. Not that the vampire was in any condition to attempt an escape. Shaking and sweating, it was all he could do to keep conscious. An occupation he was currently failing at. Days’ worth of dead man’s blood pulsed in him. As he felt himself slipping away something crashed near the entrance. Shouting mixed with furious snarls and everything in his world went dark.

\---

He came back to the world slowly. A soft pressure on his wrist, light blankets covering him from torso to toes. A quick squeeze from his wrist alerted him to the fact that he wasn’t alone. Fighting against the floating, fuzzy feeling, Benny made another discovery. He felt good. No external sting of wounds indicated that his healing had returned. He was also free of the horrible burning of dead man’s blood in his veins, which brought up the question; how long had he been out?

“Benny?”

He opened his eyes. The shadowed haze of the room cleared as he blinked groggily, eyes focusing in the dim light on the worried face of Dean leaning down over him.

“Hey there,” the selkie said, huffing in relief and giving Benny’s arm another squeeze. “Damn it, Benny. You had me scared for a bit there.”

He felt himself crack a smile, although he couldn’t be sure how much it showed. He still felt a little floaty, but he was coming back to everything a little at a time as he took in the room around him.

He didn’t recognize the place. Wherever they were was decorated simply, long curtains drawn over the only window and a simple set of furniture decorated only with a bedside lamp and the old quilt that covered Benny now. He couldn’t help but think it was all much nicer than the warehouse he had been restrained in for so long.

He frowned, clumsily fumbling to get Dean’s hand in his own as he remembered what happened and why he was like this to begin with.

“How’d you break me out all on your own, chief?” Benny asked, casting a worried eye over the selkie. “You’re not hurt are yah?”

Dean smiled crookedly. “I think you underestimate how many friends you really have,” he said, reaching out to bush a hand over Benny’s cheek. “It only took a few minutes of me calling for you and generally being dramatic before your humans came popping out of the woodwork,” Dean chuckled. “I swear Jody about gave me a heart attack when she pulled that big ass shotgun out from under her desk and called for Tessa to round up a posse. Before I knew it there were all these ladies armed to the teeth and grilling me for information. Then I was calling Cas to see if he could track you and it was all over but the shooting.”

Benny swallowed, a little stunned at Dean’s story. He remembered the monstrous howling, the human voices that had been there just before he lost consciousness. Cas would probably pretend to be pissed at being bothered so close to the full moon, especially just to come save Benny’s ass from hunters. But Benny knew that Cas secretly enjoyed letting his wolf out. And Cas was doom on hunters. His original pack had been slaughtered by a group of hunters out on a revenge spree. But to think that the humans of his port were willing to protect him as one of their own rather than ignoring the disappearance of the strange presence that had haunted them their whole lives? It was looking like he had a little rethinking to do on the subject of family.

“I wish I coulda been awake to see it,” Benny said, chuckling at the thought of Jody and her shotgun. “Speaking of, how long was I out? I know that fucker pumped me full of poison. I’m pretty sure it was more than my system could handle in a few days.”

Dean looked away. “It’s been almost a week. We flushed out your system with fresh blood though, so you were up faster than you’re thinking.”

“Dean—” Benny started, alarmed.

“Turns out college students will do anything for a few extra twentys. I raided probably every oyster in the area to get enough pearls, but it was easily worth it. Ash hooked me up with a buncha seniors over at –U and I got enough blood to clean you out and then some. The fridge is packed.”

Benny breathed out in relief. “Wait, I’m a bit lost here. What happened with your brother then, before you mounted this daring rescue?”

“I talked to him,” Dean said, avoiding eye contact by fussing with the washcloth in the pan. By the set of his jaw though Benny could tell that there had been a little more than ‘talking’ in that conversation.

He still wasn’t meeting Benny’s eyes.

“Cher, you’re scaring me,” Benny reached up to brush his thumb along the selkie’s cheek. “What’s wrong?”

Dean curled inward, moving to cradle Benny’s hand against his cheek. “I’m sorry.” he whispered, voice cracking.

“For what?”

“I couldn’t save you. I let him hurt you. I didn’t want to! Please know that. But I was so scared he would kill you. He obviously wanted to make you suffer and I was scared that if I tried to save you before he had you locked down he would just kill you to get the job done,” he brushed his fingers along the bandages on Benny’s arms. “I never want to see you like that again. I wish it had been me.”

“Dean,” he sighed, wincing as the selkie returned to dabbing at his face with the cloth. “Dean,” Benny grabbed his wrist, halting his movements with a firm grip. “You did what you could. Hell, you did more than I ever thought you would have to. I’m mighty lucky to have you and the ladies looking after me.

Dean shook his head stubbornly. “I’ll do better next time. I won’t ever let them get you again.”

Benny stilled, fears from before his unfortunate encounter with the hunter resurfacing.

“Darlin, you told me yourself how your kind feels about walking around with us up top,” he said softly, loosening his hold to rub over the soft pads of Dean’s palm. “I won’t keep you from your kin. Hell, you’re the only one who made me aware of all the people I have. I could never want less for you.”

Benny thought back to that day on the beach. _The spray of the ocean and Dean’s wild green eyes._ “You’ve missed your brother,” Benny said – _Dean settling by his side. The way they sat on the damp sand and just breathed together. The soft feeling of sleek fur under his fingers—_ “I know you were up here with us because your pod was gone.” – _The way Dean lit up at all the colors and variety of human clothes, and the way he stared in awe as an old woman shaped blown glass_ —“You should be with them.”— _The disappointment in Dean’s eyes as he talked about the cages people build for themselves._

He couldn’t cage Dean.

“I won’t hold you here if it hurts you.”

But Dean was crying now, shoulders trembling as he shook his head in a vehement _no_.

“I want to stay with you,” he said, almost choking as he did. “I want to be here, with you. You don’t—” Dean made a frustrated sound, dropping his forehead down to rest against Benny’s shoulder. “I was so alone, Benny. I thought humans might be the answer, they seemed to live their lives so alone, despite living in such large rookeries. Then I met you, and I get it now. There’s so much I didn’t understand and I don’t want to be alone anymore.”

“Cher,” Benny said, emotion husky in his voice. “You were never meant to be alone, and that you were is a great injustice in the universe.”

“Then ask me to stay,” Dean said, leaning in to press kisses to Benny’s eyelids, carefully wiping away the unshed tears that were forming there. “Ask me to stay, Benny. Give me a home on your boat and a berth to swim back to. I want to have meals with your family and invite Sam over. He found his mate, you know? She’s beautiful and they were looking for a place to make a home. He’ll stay here if I ask him to,” Dean pressed yet more kisses to Benny’s crown before touching their foreheads together and staring into the vampire’s eyes. “It’s a secret, what I told you about Yearning. But there is a deeper secret to it,” Dean chuckled wetly, his own eyes wet now. “What we Yearn for. It’s someone who loves us enough to let us be free. Seal and human. On land and sea.”

“Stay,” Benny breathed, lips pressing gently against Dean’s. “Stay, please. I’ll talk to your brother, show him I don’t want to keep you like that. I want you here, chubby belly, whiskers and all. I want you swimming around me when I fish and laying with me when I sleep. I want your ridiculously pretty face to smile in wonder at all these stupid human things, I want to show you fireworks and beignets and properly meet your brother.”

Dean sighed happily, dropping onto Benny’s embrace, rubbing his face into Benny’s chest like a pleased cat. “Mine. My mate.”

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> I hated this fic for most of the time I was writing it, so I hope you guys enjoyed it in the end.  
> Comments are welcomed with open arms. I will probably be writing time stamps to this, including what went down between Dean and Sam while they were 'talking'. 
> 
> Come say hello. I am a lonely person.  
> ambersagen.tumblr.com


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